Corn-sheller.



N o. 636,025. 1 Patdntd Oct. 3|, I899. .1. DONOVAN. I

CORN SHELL'EB.

(Application filed July 9, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES DONOVAN, OF THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN OR TO THE ROBERTS,THROP & COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CORN-SHELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,025, dated ()ctobr31, 1899.

Application filed July 9, 1898. Serial No. 685,469. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES DONOVAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Three Rivers, in the county of St. Joseph and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCorn-Shellels, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to corn-shellers of that class in which theshelling-cylinders, together with the surrounding casing therefor, areadjustable to different inclinations for the purpose of varying theshelling action.

More particularly, my invention is designed as an improvement inthattype of corn-shellers shown in each of the United States patents toRoberts, No. 353,591, dated November 30, 1886, No. 353,885, datedDecember 7, 1886, and No. 354,239, dated December 14, 1886.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction of the bearings forthe shaft of the shelling-cylinder and in the peculiar construction,arrangement, and combination of parts, as more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the shellingcylinder and casing. Fig. 2 is a'perspective view of one end of thecasing. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of one end of the cylinder and theshaft, showing the journal-bearing therefor; and Fig. 4 is across-section on line 00 00, Fig. 3.

A is the shelling-cylinder.

B is the surrounding shelling-casin g, which is provided with afeed-hopper C, and D is the shaft upon which the cylinder is mounted,which at one end is journaled in the bearing E, secured within thecasing, the opposite end passing out through an aperture in the end ofsaid casing.

F is a shaft extending across the end of the shaftD, at right anglesthereto. G and H are intermeshing bevel gear-wheels connecting saidshafts.

I is a bifurcated bracket secured to the easing B, the two arms of whichare pivotally secured upon the shaft F on opposite sides of thegear-wheel G, and J is a bearing for the shaft D on the bracket I. K isa link for ad- I justably supporting the opposite end of the casin g B,said link being screw-threaded and provided with an adjustable nut L,engaging with a stationary bearing M on the frame.

The machine thus far described is constructed as shown in the priorpatents above referred to, and in its operation motion is communicatedfrom the shaft F to the shaft D, which rotates the cylinder within theeasing and shells the corn fed into said casing from the hopper C. Ithas been found, however, in practical operation of this machine that agreat deal of poweris lost through friction caused by the end thrust ofthe cylinder against the casing. This end thrust is due to the inclinedposition of the cylinder within the casing, and as the bearing forresisting it is some distance from the center of the shaft and beinginside the casing it is exposed to the dust from the shelling thefrictional resistance is considerable. To overcome this difficulty, Ihave devised the construction shown in the drawings, in which N is anarm secured to the bracket I, which extends out to one side of the bevelgear-wheel H and at its end is provided with a lateral ofiset portionconveying the thrust-bearing for the end of the shaft D. Thisthrust-bearing is preferably formed of a cup 0, fitting over the end ofthe shaft and provided with grooves O, slidin gly engaging with ribs Non the offset portion of the arm N. P is a set-screw engaging with thearmN and bearing against the end of the cup 0. With this arrangement thecup 0 may be adjusted by the set-screw Pso as to relieve all pressure ofthe cylinder A against the end of the casing, and as the bearing is nearthe center of the shaft and free from dust the friction is greatlyreduced. To further reduce the friction, I preferably employ arollerbearing for the bearing J instead of the parallel bearings used inthe earlier constructions.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with theshelling-casing, the shelling-cylinder therein, and the shaft for saidcylinder passing out through the end of said casing, of the transverseshaft F having a bevel-gear connection to said cylinder-shaft, thebifurcated bracket I on said casing pivoted to said shaft F, the arm Non said bracket extending out between the bifur- N on said bracket, thethrust-bearing 0 adj ustably secured to the end of said arm, and theroller-bearing J on the bracket for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES DONOVAN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES LINN, S. HORACE ROBERTS.

